Storage tank



E. M. CLARK STORAGE TANK Sept. 27, 1927.

Filed Jan, 24. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOR VEWV'Zi'CZark WITNESSESATTORNEY Sept. 27, 1927. 1,643,924

E. M. CLARK STORAGE TANK Filed Jan, 24. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORWITNESSES 27. J14. Clark M BY M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDWIN Hit-CLARK, OF GLARKSTON, MICHIGAN.

STORAGE TANK.

Application filed January 24, 1927. Serial No. 163,287.

My invention relates to storage tanks and particularly to a stora e tankadapted for containing liquids of di erent s ec i ties, as, for examplewater, an o1l such as crude oil, fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline, etc.,

hereinafter referred to as oil.

y to provide novel preventing losses while in storage,

losses.

The special object of my present invention is to provide a tank that ishermetically sealed and such as will provide against the presence of aspace above the oil in which the vapors of evaporization wouldaccumulate, and to provide for the expansion and contraction of thetanks contents as by natural changes in temperature while the inventionhas for its general object and I efiective means for of theoil byevaporation or at least minimizing the tank is hermetically sealed andwithoutexposing the oil to the atmos here.

Reference is to be had to t e accompanying drawings forming apart ofthis spec1- fication, it being understood that the draw- 26 ings aremerely illustrative of one example 1 of the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of an Oll tank embodying my invention,parts being broken out for the urposes of the drawings; Figure 2 1s adetail in horizontal section as indicated bythe line 2-2 of Figure 1; Fiure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a slight modification, thesection line of Figure 3 being indicated by the line 85 3-3 in Figure 4and Figure 4 is a plan view of the tank shown in Figure 3.

In carrying out my invention in the form shown in Figure 1, the tank 10has a hermetie roof 11 as well as a water pi e 12 and an oil pipe 13 forthe entrance an withdrawal of water and oil respectively. The tank 10 isextended above the roof 11 to form a water basin designated 110. Risingfrom i the roof 11 is a well 14 having a screw plug 15 distant from thetop and engaging an internal thread in said well 14 the numeral 16indicates the bottom of the tank.

, In accordance with my invention I provide; a chamber 17 adjacenttheroof 11 of the tank and said chamber communicates by a pipe .18 with thebottom of basin 110 and communicates by its upturned lower end with thebottom of chamber 17 Said pipe 15.

c gravi- 18 is disposed adjacent one end of the chamber 17. At theopposite end of chamber 17 is provided a curved pipe 19. Said pipe 19communicates at one end with the top of chamber 17 and extends upwardlythrough the roof 11 and then downwardly through said roof to communicatewith the interior of the tank 10 beneath the roof. The pipe 19constitutes in efiect a spillway at that end of the chamber 17 for thepurpose of permitting the overflow of liquid to the tank 10.

A vent pipe 20 extends from the top of curved pipe 19 and is providedwith a shutoff valve 21.v The numeral 23 indicates a vertical shieldextending downwardly from roof 11 adjacent the pipe 19, and the numeral24 indicates a similar shield depending from the roof 11 adjacent theoil pipe 13. The shield 23 forms a chamber leading to pipe 19 and theshield 24 forms a chamber leading to the pipe 13 to direct oil to'saidpipe without undue disturbance of the contents of the tank, but it willreadily be understood that the use of said shields is not absolutelynecessary and they may be omitted.

In the use of the tank the water is initially pumped into the roof basin110 and passes downwardly through pipe 18, through chamber 17 and pipe19 to the main tank where the water settles in the bottom to provide awater cushion of the desired depth. The chamber 17 will remain filledwith water. Oil is next pumped into the tank through pipe 13 until isreaches close to the roof. At this time the ventvalve 21 isopened andthe well cover 15 removed. The pumping of the oil is continued until itissues from the vent 20, after which the vent is closed and the fillingof the oil is continued until the oil rises in well 14 to the vane ofthe cover 15. After the well cover 15 is replaced and the vent valve 21closed water may be poured into the well 14 above the cover 15 to form awater seal. Water is now pumped into the basin 110 in the desiredquantity.

The letter A indicates a body of oil in the tank; B, the water cushionat the bottom of the tank; C, the water in the tank 110; c, the water inthe chamber 17 a, the limited quantity of oil above the water in thechamber 17; a 0 indicates the oil in the well 14 and D, the water sealin well 14 above cover It willbe observed that the chamber 17 isslightly inclined so that a cushion of water will always remain at thatend adjacent the pipe 18 establishing connection between said chamberand the basin 110.

It will be obvious that a rise of temperature and the consequentexpansion of the oil A will cause the oil to be forced through pipe 19into the chamber 17, thereby displacing the water in said chamber 17 andcausing said water to be forced through the pipe 18 to basin 110. Theresidue of water will remain inchamber 17 the amount depending upon thecapacity of said chamber to provide for the maximum expansion of the oilplus the presence of the water cushion in pipe 18. Manifestly thelowering of temperature and the consequent contrac tion of the oilcontent of the tank 10 will result in the reversal of the describedaction.

In Figures 3 and 4: a slight modification is shown. The numeral 210 insaid figure indicates the main tank; 110, the roof basin as previouslydescribed; 112, the water pipe; 113, the oil pipe; 111, the roof; 11 1,the well; 116, the bottom; 117, the chamber corresponding generally withthe chamber 17; 118, the pipe establishing communication between thechamber 117 and the roof basin 110; 119, the curved pipe connectingchamber 117 with the tank 210; 120, the vent pipe; 121, the vent valvein said pipe 120; 220 indicates a fun-nel on pipe 121. Shields 23 and 24are designated as in Figure 1 as they have the same form and function asin Figure l. The letter A indicates the body of oil in tank 210; B, theWater cushion in the bottom of said tank; C, the water in the basin 110;c, the water in chamber 117 and a, oil in chamber 117.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4 the chamber 117 connects at one endwith basin 110 by curved pipe 118 and at the left said chambercommunicates with tank 210 by the pipe 119.

In the form shown in Figures 3 and 4 the pipe 119 is filled with oil toits apex by pouring the oil through the funnel 220 and pipe 120. Havingin view the remote possibility of an air pocket being formed during theinitial operation of filling the tank with oil and water, said airpocket would necessarily locate itself at the top of the pipe 119 and insuch event an occasional opening for a moment of the vent valve 121 willinstantly correct and continuously insure against the presence of theair pocket.

The chamber 117 is indicated as approximately the area of the tank, butsaid chamber may be smaller with good results.

It is to be observed that the main tank is always filled with liquid andthe fullness is insured by constant pressure from without.

The numeral 22 indicates a pipe for draining chamber 11whenever'necessary or desirable.

I would state furthermore that while the illustrated example constitutesa practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictlyto the exact details herein be considerably varied without departurefrom the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a structure of the class described a main oil tank having a roof,a water basin above said roof, a liquid holder within the tank, meansconnecting said tank at one end with said holder at the top of theholder and means connecting said basin with said holder at the otherend, at the bottom thereof.

2. In an oil storage tank, a main tankhaving a roof, a water basin abovesaid roof, and a liquid holder within the tank, said holdercommunicating at one point with the tank and communicating at anotherpoint with said basin and having a slight incline.

3. In an oil storage tank a main tank having a roof, a water basin abovesaid tank, a chamber in the tank near the roof, a pipe establishingcommunication with said chamber near one end and said basin, and a pipeestablishing communication between said chamber near the opposite endand the interior of said tank near the roof; together with a vent piperising from said last mentioned connecting pipe.

4. In an oil storage tank a main tank having a roof, a water basin abovesaid tank, a chamber in the tank near the roof, a pipe establishingcommunication with said chamber near one end and said basin, and a pipeestablishing communication between said chamber near the opposite endand the interior of said tank near the roof; together with a vent piperising from said last mentioned connecting pipe, and means to receiveoil and conduct the same to said vent p In an oil storage tank, a maintank having a roof, a water basin above said roof, a chamber within thetank, said chamber communicating at one point with the tank andcommunicating at another point with said basin; together with a wellrising from the roof of the tank and a closure. for said well below thetop thereof.

6. In an oil storage tank a main tank having a roof, a water basin abovesaid tank, a chamber in the tank near the roof, a pipe establishingcommunication with said chamber near one end and said basin, a drainpipe leading from said first mentioned pipe, and a pipe establishingcommunication between said chamber near the opposite end and theinterior of'said tank near the roof.

EDWIN M. CLARK.

illustrated, since, manifestly, the same can

